Inkjet ink

ABSTRACT

The present invention pertains to an aqueous inkjet ink comprising anionic self-dispersing pigment with a certain mixture of tetraorganoammonium and alkali metal cations. The inks exhibit greatly extended latency.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/925,437 (filed Apr. 20, 2008), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes as if fully set forth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to an aqueous-based inkjet ink with pigment colorant and more particularly to an aqueous inkjet ink comprising anionic self-dispersing pigment and a certain mixture of tetraorganoammonium and alkali metal cations. The ink exhibits greatly extended latency.

Inkjet printing is a non-impact printing process in which droplets of ink are deposited on a substrate, such as paper, to form the desired image. The droplets are ejected from a printhead in response to electrical signals generated by a microprocessor. Inkjet printers offer low cost, high quality printing and have become a popular alternative to other types of printers.

An ink-jet ink is characterized by a number of necessary properties, including color, jettability, decap time (latency), drying time and shelf-life, among others. However, there is often a tradeoff between these properties because improving one property can result in the deterioration of another property.

The decap time of the ink is the amount of time a printhead can be left uncapped and idle and still fire a drop properly—that is to say without misdirection, loss of color or unacceptable decrease of velocity. Decap is sometimes referred to in the art as “latency” and these two terms will be used interchangeably.

Because not all the nozzles of the printhead print all the time, a printer service routine requires the idle nozzles to spit on a regular basis into the waste container (spittoon) to avoid printing defects. It is desirable, however, to service the printhead as infrequently as possible as it is wasteful of ink and slows print speeds. To reduce need for servicing, an ink will preferably have a long decap time.

Contributing to decap problems is the trend for printheads to fire smaller drops to increase image resolution. The increased surface area to volume to the smaller drops allows faster evaporation of volatile vehicle components at the nozzle face and thereby tends to decrease decap time.

Both dyes and pigments have been used as colorants for inkjet inks and both have certain advantages. Pigment inks are advantageous because they tend to provide more water-fast and light-fast images than dye inks. Also, with regard to black inks, carbon black pigment can provide much higher optical density than any available dye colorant.

Pigments, in order to be used in inks, must be stabilized to dispersion in the ink vehicle. Stabilization of the pigment can be accomplished by use of separate dispersing agents, such as polymeric dispersants or surfactants. Alternatively, a pigment surface can be chemically modified with dispersibility-imparting groups and thereby form a so-called “self-dispersible” or “self-dispersing” pigment (hereafter “SDP(s)”) which is stable to dispersion without separate dispersant.

SDPs are often advantageous over traditional dispersant-stabilized pigments from the standpoint of greater stability and lower viscosity at the same pigment loading. This can provide greater formulation latitude in final ink.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,190 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0040880 disclose inkjet inks with SDP colorant that exhibit improved latency.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,328,894; 6,468,342 and 6,852,156 disclose dispersions of anionic SDP with various alkali metal or ammonium counter-ions. Use of these dispersions in inkjet ink is also disclosed.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,658 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0132568 disclose aqueous inkjet ink formulations comprising anionic SDP with sodium counter-ions and ammonium salt additive.

Although current SDP inkjet ink compositions are being successfully jetted, there is still a need in the art for, and it is an object of this invention to provide, SDP inkjet ink with longer decap time that still retains other beneficial print properties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an objective of this invention, there is provided an ink-jet ink comprising an aqueous vehicle, a self-dispersed pigment with anionic dispersibility-imparting surface groups, and a first and second cationic species.

The first cationic species is any member or any combination of members selected from the group consisting of tetrabutylammonium, benzyltriethylammonium, butyltrimethylammonium cations, and has a molar concentration per unit weight of ink referred to as “M1”. The second cationic species is any member or combination of members selected from the alkali metal group consisting of Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺ Cs⁺, and has a molar concentration per unit weight of ink referred to as “M2”. The cumulative molar concentration of first and second cationic species per unit weight of ink is referred to as Mtot (M1+M2=Mtot) and the ratio of M1 to Mtot satisfies equation 1 as follows: 0.01<M1/Mtot<0.5  (eq. 1)

The cumulative cationic molar concentration, Mtot, is preferably equal to or greater than the molar concentration per unit weight of ink of the anionic dispersibility-imparting surface groups on the self-dispersed pigment. In a preferred embodiment, the anionic groups attached to the pigment are predominately carboxyl groups.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the aqueous vehicle comprises a first humectant selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and triethylene glycol and any mixture thereof. In another embodiment the aqueous vehicle comprises a second humectant selected from the group consisting of 2-pyrrolidone, di-(2-hydroxyethyl)-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, sulfolane, tetramethylene sulfoxide, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, imidazolidinone, and any mixture thereof. In yet another embodiment, the aqueous vehicle comprises both of the afore-mentioned first and second humectants.

By adjusting the ratio of first and second cationic species, in accordance with the teachings provided herein, greatly enhanced latency can be achieved when compared to inks of similar composition comprising only second cationic species and no first cationic species.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the following detailed description. It is to be appreciated that certain features of the invention which are, for clarity, described above and below in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any subcombination. In addition, references in the singular may also include the plural (for example, “a” and “an” may refer to one, or one or more) unless the context specifically states otherwise. Further, reference to values stated in ranges include each and every value within that range.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The inkjet ink of the present invention, as well as inkjet inks in general, are comprised of vehicle, colorant and optionally other ingredients such as surfactants, binders, buffers, biocides and so forth. The ink vehicle is the liquid carrier (or medium) for the colorant and optional additives. The ink colorant refers to any and all species in the ink that provide color. The ink colorant can be a single colored species or a plurality of colored species collectively defining the final ink color. Typical colorants known in the art can be soluble (dye) or insoluble (pigment) in the vehicle.

Vehicle

The term “aqueous vehicle” refers to a vehicle comprised of water and one or more organic, water-soluble vehicle components commonly referred to as co-solvents or humectants. Sometimes in the art, when a co-solvent can assist in the penetration and drying of an ink on a printed substrate, it is referred to as a penetrant.

Examples of water-soluble organic solvents and humectants include: alcohols, ketones, keto-alcohols, ethers and others, such as thiodiglycol, sulfolane, 2-pyrrolidone, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone and caprolactam; glycols such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, trimethylene glycol, butylene glycol and hexylene glycol; addition polymers of oxyethylene or oxypropylene such as polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol and the like; triols such as glycerol and 1,2,6-hexanetriol; lower alkyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols, such as ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether; lower dialkyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols, such as diethylene glycol dimethyl or diethyl ether; urea and substituted ureas.

Examples of co-solvents that commonly act as penetrants include higher alkyl glycol ethers and/or 1,2-alkanediols. Glycol ethers include, for example, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-iso-propyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-iso-propyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-t-butyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether, triethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-t-butyl ether, 1-methyl-1-methoxybutanol, propylene glycol mono-t-butyl ether, propylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether, propylene glycol mono-iso-propyl ether, propylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether, and dipropylene glycol mono-isopropyl ether. 1,2-Alkanediol penetrants include linear, for example, 1,2-(C₅ to C₈)alkanediols and especially 1,2-pentanediol and 1,2-hexanediol.

The aqueous vehicle typically will contain about 65 wt % to about 95 wt % water with the balance (i.e., about 35% to about 5%) being organic water-soluble vehicle components. The amount of aqueous vehicle in the ink is typically in the range of about 75 wt % to about 99.8 wt %.

In one embodiment, the present invention comprises a first humectant selected from any member or combination of members of the group consisting of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol. The amount of first humectant in the final ink, if present at all, is generally between about 1 wt % and 30 wt % and more typically between about 2 wt % and 25 wt %. In a preferred embodiment, the first humectant is present in the ink at levels in the range of about 3 wt % to about 20 wt %.

In another embodiment, the present invention further comprises, in addition to the first humectant, a second humectant selected from any member or combination of members of the group consisting of 2-pyrrolidone, di-(2-hydroxyethyl)-5,5-dimethyl hydantoin, sulfolane (also known as tetramethylene sulfone and tetrahydrothiophene-1,1-dioxide), tetramethylene sulfoxide (also known as tetrahydrothiophene oxide), 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone and imidazolidinone. The amount of second humectant, if present at all, is generally between about 1 wt % and 30 wt % and more typically between about 2 wt % and 25 wt %. In a preferred embodiment, the second humectant is present in the ink at levels of about 3 wt % to about 20 wt %.

The percentages of vehicle, co-solvents and humectants herein above is weight percent based on the total weight of ink.

Colorant

Pigments, by definition, are substantially insoluble in an ink vehicle and must be treated in order to form a stable dispersion. An ink according to the present invention comprises self-dispersing pigment (“SDP”) colorant which term refers to pigment particles whose surface has been modified with hydrophilic dispersibility-imparting groups that allow stable dispersion in an aqueous vehicle without separate dispersant. More particularly, in the present invention, the hydrophilic dispersibility-imparting surface groups are ionizable, and even more particularly the dispersibility-imparting surface groups are anionic.

Most commonly, the anionic moieties of the dispersibility-imparting groups are carboxylate (also referred to as carboxyl) or sulfonate groups which provide the SDP with a negative charge when dispersed in aqueous vehicle. The carboxylate or sulfonate groups are usually associated with monovalent and/or divalent cationic counter-ions.

An SDP can be prepared by grafting a functional group or a molecule containing a functional group onto the surface of the pigment, by physical treatment (such as vacuum plasma), or by chemical treatment (for example, oxidation with ozone, hypochlorous acid or the like). A single type or a plurality of types of hydrophilic functional groups may be bonded to a given pigment particle.

Self-dispersing pigments are described, for example, in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,571,311; 5,609,671; 5,968,243; 5,928,419; 6,323,257; 5,554,739; 5,672,198; 5,698,016; 5,718,746; 5,749,950; 5,803,959; 5,837,045; 5,846,307; 5,895,522; 5,922,118; 6,123,759; 6,221,142; 6,221,143; 6,281,267; 6,329,446; 6,332,919; 6,375,317; 6,287,374; 6,398,858; 6,402,825; 6,468,342; 6,503,311; 6,506,245 and 6,852,156.

Commercial sources of SDP include Cabot Corporation, Billerica, Mass., USA; Toyo Ink USA LLC, Addison, Ill., USA; and, Orient Corporation of America, Kenilworth, N.J., USA.

The amount of surface treatment (degree of functionalization) can vary. Advantageous (higher) optical density can be achieved when the degree of functionalization (the amount of hydrophilic groups present on the surface of the SDP per unit surface area) is less than about 3.5 μmoles per square meter of pigment surface (3.5 μmol/m²), more preferably less than about 3.0 μmol/m². Degrees of functionalization of less than about 1.8 μmol/m², and even less than about 1.5 μmol/m², are also suitable and may be preferred for certain specific types of SDPs.

Examples of pigments with coloristic properties useful in inkjet inks include: (cyan) Pigment Blue 15:3 and Pigment Blue 15:4; (magenta) Pigment Red 122 and Pigment Red 202; (yellow) Pigment Yellow 14, Pigment Yellow 74, Pigment Yellow 95, Pigment Yellow 110, Pigment Yellow 114, Pigment Yellow 128 and Pigment Yellow 155; (red) Pigment Orange 5, Pigment Orange 34, Pigment Orange 43, Pigment Orange 62, Pigment Red 17, Pigment Red 49:2, Pigment Red 112, Pigment Red 149, Pigment Red 177, Pigment Red 178, Pigment Red 188, Pigment Red 255 and Pigment Red 264; (green) Pigment Green 1, Pigment Green 2, Pigment Green 7 and Pigment Green 36; (blue) Pigment Blue 60, Pigment Violet 3, Pigment Violet 19, Pigment Violet 23, Pigment Violet 32, Pigment Violet 36 and Pigment Violet 38; and (black) carbon black. However, some of these pigments may be not be suitable for preparation as SDP and choice of colorant may be dictated by compatibility with a given surface treatment method. Colorants are referred to herein by their “C.I.” designation established by Society Dyers and Colourists, Bradford, Yorkshire, UK and published in the The Color Index, Third Edition, 1971.

In a preferred embodiment, the anionic functional group(s) on the SDP surface are primarily carboxyl groups, or a combination of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. Even more preferably the anionic dispersibility-imparting groups are directly attached to the pigment surface and are primarily carboxyl groups, or a combination of carboxyl and hydroxyl.

Preferred SDPs in which anionic dispersibility-imparting groups are directly attached to the pigment surface may be produced, for example, by a method described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,852,156. Carbon black treated by the method described in this publication has a high surface active hydrogen content which is neutralized with base to provide very stable dispersions in water. Application of this method to colored pigments is also possible.

The levels of colorant employed in formulated inks are those levels needed to impart the desired optical density to the printed image. Typically, colorant levels are in the range of about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of the total ink. More typically, SDP levels are in the range of about 1% to about 8% by weight of the total ink.

The ink colorant prescribed in the present invention must comprise SDP but may additionally comprise other colored species. In a preferred embodiment, the colorant consists essentially of SDP only, which is to say that effectively any and all colored species in the ink are self-dispersing pigments.

Other Ingredients (Additives)

Other ingredients, additives, may be formulated into the inkjet ink, to the extent that such other ingredients do not interfere with the stability and jettability of the ink, which may be readily determined by routine experimentation. Such other ingredients are in a general sense well known in the art.

Commonly, surfactants are added to the ink to adjust surface tension and wetting properties. Suitable surfactants include ethoxylated acetylene diols (e.g. Surfynols® series from Air Products), ethoxylated primary (e.g. Neodol® series from Shell) and secondary (e.g. Tergitol® series from Union Carbide) alcohols, sulfosuccinates (e.g. Aerosol® series from Cytec), organosilicones (e.g. Silwet® series from Witco) and fluoro surfactants (e.g. Zonyl® series from DuPont). Surfactants are typically used in amounts up to about 5% and more typically in amounts of no more than 2%.

Inclusion of sequestering (or chelating) agents such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), iminodiacetic acid (IDA), ethylenediamine-di(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) (EDDHA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), dihydroxyethylglycine (DHEG), trans-1,2-cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid (CyDTA), dethylenetriamine-N,N,N′,N″,N″-pentaacetic acid (DTPA), and glycoletherdiamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (GEDTA), and salts thereof, may be advantageous, for example, to eliminate deleterious effects of heavy metal impurities.

Salts other than the chelators may also be used, for example, to adjust the cation ratio. Biocides may be used to inhibit growth of microorganisms.

Polymers (sometimes referred to as binders) may be added to the ink to improve durability. The polymers can be soluble in the vehicle or dispersed, and can be ionic or nonionic. Anionic polymers, in particular, seem to be advantageous.

Preferred anionic polymers are carboxyl groups-containing polymers having carboxylic acid groups (in the acid form or neutralized as “carboxylate”) incorporated in the polymer. The polymer may contain other ionic or nonionic hydrophilic groups such as ether, hydroxyl and amide groups.

Soluble polymers may include linear homopolymers, copolymers or block polymers, they also can be structured polymers including graft or branched polymers, stars, dendrimers, etc. The dispersed polymers may include, for example, latexes and hydrosols. The polymers may be made by any known process including but not limited to free radical, group transfer, ionic, RAFT, condensation and other types of polymerization. They may be made by a solution, emulsion, or suspension polymerization process.

The soluble/dispersible carboxyl groups-containing polymer may include copolymers of acrylates, methacrylates, styrene, substituted styrene, α-methylstyrene, substituted α-methyl styrenes, vinyl naphthalenes, vinyl pyrollidones, maleic anhydride, vinyl ethers, vinyl alcohols, vinyl alkyls, vinyl esters, vinyl ester/ethylene copolymers, acrylamides, and methacrylamides. The carboxyl groups-containing polymer may also be a polyester or polyurethane. Preferred classes of polymer additives include anionic acrylic, styrene-acrylic or polyurethane polymer.

A useful group of carboxyl-groups containing polymers are linear and soluble in the vehicle. The number average molecular weight (M_(n)) is typically in the range of 1,000 to 20,000, more typically in the range of 1,000 to 10,000 and most typically in the range of 2,000 to 6,000. A useful soluble linear polymer can be comprised substantially of monomers of (meth)acrylic acid and/or derivatives thereof, and have a M_(n) of between about 4000 to about 6000.

When soluble polymer is present, the level is commonly between about 0.01 wt % and about 3 wt %, based on the total weight of ink. Upper limits are dictated by ink viscosity or other physical limitations.

Cations

According to the present invention, an ink will contain a first cationic species (any one or combination of tetrabutylammonium, benzyltriethylammonium, butyltrimethylammonium cations) and a second cationic species (any one or combination of Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺ and Cs⁺). By adjusting the relative ratio of first and second cationic species, as prescribed herein, greatly enhanced decap can be obtained.

The molar concentration of first cation species per unit weight of ink is referred to as “M1”. The molar concentration of second cation species per unit weight of ink is referred to as “M2”. The total cation concentration per unit weight of ink (“Mtot”) is the cumulative molar concentration of first cation species and second cation species per unit weight of ink (in other words, Mtot=M1+M2).

Preferably, (Mtot) is equal to or greater than the molar content of anionic groups on the self-dispersing pigment per unit weight of ink (referred to a M_anionic). The molar content of anionic groups in the ink is a function of the amount of surface treatment per unit weight of pigment and the amount (weight percent) of self-dispersing pigment in the ink. The presence of “excess” cations (Mtot>M_anionic) tends to be advantageous in achieving longer decap.

The first and second cations referred to herein must be in an “available” form, which means they are soluble or at least labile in the vehicle.

The range of ratios of first and second cations yielding best (longest) decap (“optimum ratio”) can be fairly narrow, and the optimum ratio can shift depending on which cations are present and other factors such as pH and the presence of excess cations. With the teachings provided herein, one skilled in the art can readily determine appropriate cation levels and ratios.

In general, the optimum M1/Mtot ratio will be between about 0.01 and about 0.5 and typically between about 0.02 and about 0.2. The second cationic species is preferably either one or a mixture of Na⁺ and/or K⁺. In one embodiment, the second cationic species is predominately or entirely K⁺. In another embodiment, the first cationic species is predominately or entirely tetrabutylammonium.

Sodium is prevalent in the environment, and sodium cations may be detectable in an ink (at greater than 1 or 2 parts per million, for example) even when not deliberately added. The levels of other alkali metals, however, are typically nil (e.g. less than about 1 or 2 ppm) without deliberate addition.

The cations present in the pigmented inks can be measured by standard methods such as ion chromatography with a cation-exchange column (for example, a CS12A column from Dionex Corp., Sunnyvale, Calif.), and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP/OES) with, for example, a commercially available instrument such as a PE Optima (Perkin Elmer Life and Analytical Sciences, Shelton, Conn.).

Prior to analysis the pigment is removed from the ink by precipitating with the addition of hydrochloric acid. The precipitated pigment is separated by ultracentrifugation and the resulting clear supernatant is analyzed for cations.

Ink Properties

Jet velocity, separation length of the droplets, drop size and stream stability are greatly affected by the surface tension and the viscosity of the ink. Pigmented ink jet inks typically have a surface tension in the range of about 20 mN.m⁻¹ to about 70 mN.m⁻¹ at 25° C. Viscosity can be as high as 30 mPa·s at 25° C., but is typically somewhat lower. The ink has physical properties compatible with a wide range of ejecting conditions, materials construction and the shape and size of the nozzle. The inks should have excellent storage stability for long periods so as not clog to a significant extent in an ink jet apparatus. Further, the ink should not corrode parts of the ink jet printing device it comes in contact with, and it should be essentially odorless and non-toxic.

Although not restricted to any particular viscosity range or printhead, the inventive ink is particularly suited to lower viscosity applications. Thus the viscosity (at 25° C.) of the inventive ink can be less than about 7 mPa·s, or less than about 5 mPa·s, and even, advantageously, less than about 3.5 mPa·s. Thermal inkjet actuators rely on instantaneous heating/bubble formation to eject ink drops and this mechanism of drop formation generally requires inks of lower viscosity. As such, the instant ink can be particularly advantages in thermal printheads.

Substrate

The substrate can be any suitable substrate including plain paper, such as common electrophotographic copier paper; treated paper, such as photo-quality inkjet paper; textile; and, non-porous substrates including polymeric films such as polyvinyl chloride and polyester.

The following examples illustrate the invention without, however, being limited thereto.

EXAMPLES

Inks in the examples that follow were prepared by adding the indicated formulation ingredients to the dispersion(s), with mixing, and filtering through a 2.5 micron filter to remove any oversize material. The water was deionized unless otherwise stated. Ingredient amounts are in weight percent of the total weight of ink. Surfynol® 465 is a surfactant from Air Products (Allentown, Pa., USA).

Dispersion 1

Carbon black (Nippex 180 from Degussa, surface area about 260 m²/g) was oxidized with ozone, according to the process described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,852,156, to create carboxylic acid groups directly attached to the surface. Potassium hydroxide was used during processing to neutralize the treated pigment and convert the surface acid groups to the salt form. The neutralized mixture was purified by ultra-filtration to remove free acids, salts, and contaminants. The purification process was performed to repeatedly wash pigment with de-ionized water until the conductivity of the mixture leveled off and remained relatively constant.

After recovery, a 12.8 weight percent dispersion of the self-dispersing carbon black pigment (potassium salt form) was obtained with a viscosity of 3.5 mPa·s (25° C.). The median particle size was about 98 nm.

Dispersion 2

Dispersion 2 was Cabojet® 300 (a self-dispersing carbon black pigment from Cabot Corporation) dispersed in water at about 15 weight percent concentration. This is a graft-type SDP with carboxyl groups grafted to the pigment surface through a spacer group. The cationic counter ion was Sodium.

Dispersion 3

Dispersion 3 is the sodium salt form of Dispersion 1 and was prepared by subjecting Dispersion 1 to ion exchange to replace K⁺ with Na⁺.

Binder 1 (Polymer Additive)

Binder 1 was a block copolymer with methacrylic acid//benzyl methacrylate//ethyltriethyleneglycol methacrylate (13//15//4) prepared in a manner similar to “preparation 4” described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,085, except the monomer levels were adjusted to give the ratio indicated. The neutralizing agent was potassium hydroxide providing the potassium salt form of the polymer. The number average molecular weight was about 5,000 and weight average molecular weight was about 6,000 g/mol.

Optical Density

Inks were printed with a Canon i560 printer at 100% coverage onto HP office, Xerox 4024 and Hammermill Copy Plus plain papers. The reported optical density (OD) value is the average of the three papers as measured with a Greytag Macbeth Spectrolino spectrometer.

Cation Analytical Method

Prior to analysis the pigment was removed from the ink by precipitation with added hydrochloric acid. The precipitated pigment was separated by ultracentrifugation and the resulting clear supernatant was analyzed for the cations by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP/OES) using PE Optima instrumentation (Perkin Elmer Life and Analytical Sciences, Shelton, Conn.).

This ICP method was able to detect the lithium, sodium, potassium and rubidium with a sensitivity of about 2 ppm. Cesium was not detected accurately and any reported concentrations were calculated based on the formulation. Ammonium concentrations were also calculated based on the formulation as ICP is suitable only for the metallic ions.

Cation levels are reported in two ways, on a weight basis as parts per million (ppm) cation in total ink and on a molar basis as micromoles (μmol) of cation per gram of SDP (g-SDP). A micromole is 10⁻⁶ mole. The calculation for μmol of cation per g-SDP is (100)(cation ppm)/(wt % SDP)(cation molecular weight).

From the given weight percent of SDP in the inks, μmol of cation per g-SDP can be converted to moles of cation per unit weight of ink (units specified in the claims). However, for purposes of calculating the molar ratio M1/Mtot, conversion is unnecessary as the units cancel and the ratio is the same.

In the examples, cation ppm levels shown with parentheses “( )” are calculated values based on formulation while those shown without parentheses are measured.

Latency Test

Latency (decap time) was determined according to the following procedure using a Hewlett Packard 850 printer that was altered so that the ink cartridge would not be serviced during the test. Just prior to the beginning of the test, the nozzles were primed and a nozzle check pattern was performed to ensure all nozzles were firing acceptably. No further servicing was then conducted

During each scan across the page, the pen prints a pattern of 149 vertical lines spaced about 1/16 inch apart. Each vertical line is formed by all nozzles firing one drop, therefore the line is one drop wide and about ½ inch high corresponding to the length of the nozzle array on the printhead. The first vertical line in each scan is the first drop fired from each nozzle after the prescribed latency period, the fifth line was the fifth drop from each nozzle on that scan, and so forth for all 149 lines.

The pattern was repeated at increasingly longer time intervals (decap times) between scans. The standard time intervals between scans was 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1000 seconds. Nothing beyond 1000 seconds was attempted.

Upon completion of the test, the 1^(st), 5^(th), and 32^(nd) vertical lines in each scan were examined for consistency, misdirected drop deposits, and clarity of the print. These lines correspond to the 1^(st), 5^(th) and 32^(nd) drops of ink droplets ejected from the nozzle after a prescribed latency period. The decap time was the longest time interval where the particular vertical line can be printed without significant defects.

Preferably, the pen will fire properly on the first drop. However, when the first drop fails to eject properly, the decap time for the fifth and thirty-second drops can provide some information as to the severity of the pluggage and how easily the nozzles can be recovered.

The results tables hereinafter report only the first drop decap time and refer to the value simply as the “Decap Time” in units of seconds.

Example 1

The inks of this example, summarized in the tables that follow, demonstrate the benefits of a mixture of tetrabutyl ammonium as the first cation and potassium as the second cation. The molar amounts M1, M2 and Mtot in the ink are given per gram of SDP. The low levels of sodium noted were not deliberately added and are believed to come from Dispersion 1 where the KOH used to neutralized the pigment contained slight amounts of NaOH impurity.

As can be seen, at optimum cation ratios, very high decap is obtained. Also, the presence of tetrabutylammonium increases optical density even at levels that are less than optimum for decap.

Ink 1A (Control) Ink 1B Ink 1C Ink 1D Ink Ingredients Dispersion 1 (as % pigment) 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 Tetrabutylammonium — 0.0025 0.005 0.01 hydroxide Diethylene glycol 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 2-pyrrolidone 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Surfynol 465 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Water (balance to 100%) Bal. Bal. Bal. Bal. Physical Properties Conductivity (mS/cm) 0.219 0.231 0.24 0.250 PH 6.50 6.47 6.58 6.60 Cation Content Potassium (ppm) 526 (526) (526) (526) Sodium (ppm) 6  (6)  (6)  (6) Tetrabutylammonium (ppm) —  (27)  (53) (107)

Ink 1A Comp. Ink 1B Ink 1C Ink 1D Print Properties Decap Time (sec.) 90 200 300 >1,000 Optical Density 1.34 1.37 1.34 1.46 Cation Molar ratios Potassium (μmol/g-SDP) 385 385 385 385 Sodium (μmol/g-SDP) 7 7 7 7 Tetrabutylammonium (μmol/g- — 3 6 12 SDP) Mtot (μmol/g-SDP) 392 395 398 404 Ratio (%) M1/Mtot 0 0.8 1.5 3

Ink 1E Ink 1F Ink 1G Ink 1H Ink Ingredients Dispersion 1 (as % pigment) 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 Tetrabutylammonium hydroxide 0.015 0.02 0.05 0.1 Diethylene glycol 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 2-pyrrolidone 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Surfynol 465 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Water (balance to 100%) Bal. Bal. Bal. Bal. Physical Properties Conductivity (mS/cm) 0.253 0.257 0.274 0.891 PH 6.63 6.54 6.88 7.22 Cation Content Potassium (ppm) (526) (526) (526) (526) Sodium (ppm)  (6)  (6)  (6)  (6) Tetrabutylammonium (ppm) (160) (214) (535) (1070) 

Print Properties Ink 1E Ink 1F Ink 1G Ink 1H Decap Time (seconds) >1,000 >1,000 10 8 Optical Density 1.48 1.48 1.46 1.47 Potassium (μmol/g-SDP) 385 385 385 385 Sodium (μmol/g-SDP) 7 7 7 7 Tetrabutylammonium 18 24 60 119 (μmol/g-SDP) Mtot (μmol/g-SDP) 410 416 452 511 Ratio (%) M1/Mtot 4.4 6 13 23

Example 2

The inks of this example, summarized in the tables that follow, demonstrate the benefits of benzyltriethylammonium (Inks 2A and 2B) and butyltrimethylammonium (Inks 2C-2F) as the first cation in combination with potassium as the second cation.

As can be seen, at optimum cation ratios, very high decap is obtained. However, these first cations do not seem to give the optical density increase of the tetrabutylammonium in the previous example.

Ink 2A Ink 2B Ingredients Dispersion 1 (as % pigment) 3.5 3.5 Benzyltriethylammonium chloride 0.005 0.02 Diethylene glycol 10 10 2-pyrrolidone 10 10 Surfynol 465 0.2 0.2 Water (balance to 100%) Bal. Bal. Physical Properties Conductivity (mS/cm) 0.311 0.322 pH 6.46 6.35 Cation Content Potassium (ppm) (526) (526) Sodium (ppm)  (6)  (6) Benzyltriethylammonium (ppm)  (59) (237)

Ink 2A Ink 2B Print Properties Decap Time (sec.) >1,000 >1,000 Optical Density 1.38 1.35 Cation Content Potassium (μmol/g-SDP) 385 385 Sodium (μmol/g-SDP) 7 7 Benzyltriethylammonium (μmol/g- 15 30 SDP) Mtot (μmol/g-SDP) 407 422 Ratio (%) M1/Mtot 3.7 7.1

Ink Ink Ink Ink 2C 2D 2E 2F Ink Ingredients Dispersion 1 (as % pigment) 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 Butyltrimethylammonium hydroxide 0.01 0.025 0.05 0.1 Diethylene glycol 10 10 10 10 2-pyrrolidone 10 10 10 10 Surfynol 465 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Water (balance to 100%) Bal. Bal. Bal. Bal. Physical Properties Conductivity (mS/cm) 0.24 0.26 0.30 0.39 pH 6.88 6.77 6.97 7.55 Cation Content Potassium (ppm) (526) (526) (526) (526) Sodium (ppm)  (6)  (6)  (6)  (6) Butyltrimethylammonium (ppm) (104) (210) (520) (1041) 

Ink 2C Ink 2D Ink 2E Ink 2F Print Properties Decap Time (sec.) 400 >1,000 800 200 Optical Density 1.32 1.38 1.38 1.37 Cation Molar Ratios Potassium (μmol/g-SDP) 385 385 385 385 Sodium (μmol/g-SDP) 7 7 7 7 Butyltrimethylammonium 25 61 122 246 (μmol/g-SDP) Mtot (μmol/g-SDP) 417 453 514 638 Ratio (%) M1/Mtot 6 14 24 39

Example 3

The inks of this example, summarized in the tables that follow, demonstrate the tetrabutylammonium as the first cation and sodium as the second cation in combination with each of two different types of SDP.

As can be seen, at optimum cation ratios, very high decap can be obtained for Dispersion 2. However, this cation combination is less effective for Dispersion 3, indicating some sensitivity to SDP type when the second cationic species consists of sodium only.

Ink 3A Control Ink 3B Ink 3C Ink 3D Ink 3E Ink Ingredients Dispersion 2 (as % 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 pigment) Tetrabutylammonium — 0.007 0.02 0.05 0.1 hydroxide Diethylene glycol 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 2-pyrrolidone 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Surfynol 465 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Water (balance to Bal. Bal. Bal. Bal. Bal. 100%) Physical Properties Conductivity (mS/cm) 0.61 0.63 0.58 0.63 0.67 pH 7.80 7.41 7.53 8.21 9.39 Cation Content Potassium (ppm) — — — — — Sodium (ppm) 241 (241) (241) (241) (241) Tetrabutylammonium —  (80) (214) (535) (1070)  (ppm)

Ink 3A Ink 3B Ink 3C Ink 3D Ink 3E Print Properties Decap Time (seconds) 60 60 100 >1,000 200 Optical Density 1.03 1.08 0.97 1.05 1.10 Cation Molar Ratio Sodium (μmol/g-SDP) 300 300 300 300 300 Potassium (μmol/g- — — — — — SDP) Tetrabutylammonium — 8 24 60 120 (μmol · g-SDP) Mtot (μmol/g-SDP) 300 308 324 360 420 Ratio (%) M1/Mtot 0 3 7 17 29

Ink 3F Ink 3G Ink 3H Ink Ingredients Dispersion 3 (as % pigment) 3.5 3.5 3.5 Tetrabutylammonium hydroxide 0.02 0.05 0.1 Diethylene glycol 10 10 10 2-pyrrolidone 10 10 10 Surfynol 465 0.2 0.2 0.2 Water (balance to 100%) Bal. Bal. Bal. Physical Properties Conductivity (mS/cm) 0.20 0.21 0.26 pH 6.46 7.31 8.05 Cation Content Potassium (ppm) — — — Sodium (ppm) 251 (251) (251) Tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (214) (535) (1070)  (ppm)

Ink 3F Ink 3G Ink 3H Print Properties Decap Time (sec.) 100 5 5 Optical Density 1.47 1.38 1.33 Cation Molar Ratio Sodium (μmol/g-SDP) 312 312 312 Tetrabutylammonium (μmol/g- 24 60 119 SDP) Mtot (μmol/g-SDP) 336 372 431 Ratio (%) M1/Mtot 7 16 28

Example 4 Comparative

The inks of this example, summarized in the tables that follow, are comparative and demonstrate other tetraalkylammonium cations as the first cation. The various tetraalkylammoniums were added to the control formulation, Ink 1A.

Inks containing an appropriate level of tetraethylammonium, tetrapropylammonium, tetrapentyl ammonium, tetrapentyl and tetrahexylammonium cations exhibited increased decap (i.e. decap significantly greater than 90 seconds of Control Ink 1a), but none showed a decap time of greater than 1000 seconds like the preferred cations. However, there was a general increase in optical density relative to Control Ink 1A.

Ink 4A Ink 4B Ink 4C Ink 4D Comp. Comp. Comp. Comp. Ink Ingredients Dispersion 1 (as % pigment) 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 Tetramethylammonium 0.005 0.021 — — hydroxide Tetraethylammonium hydroxide — — 0.009 0.034 Diethylene glycol 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 2-pyrrolidone 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Surfynol 465 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Water (balance to 100%) Bal. Bal. Bal. Bal. Physical Properties Conductivity (mS/cm) 0.61 0.63 0.58 0.63 pH 7.80 7.41 7.53 8.21 Cation Content Potassium (ppm) (526) (526) (526) (526) Sodium (ppm)  (6)  (6)  (6)  (6) Tetramethylammonium (ppm) (62) (259) — — Tetraethylammonium (ppm) — — (102) (384)

Ink 4A Ink 4B Ink 4C Ink 4D Print Properties Decap Time (sec.) 100 300 300 800 Optical Density 1.46 1.41 1.49 1.44 Cation Molar Ratios Potassium (μmol/g-SDP) 385 385 385 385 Sodium (μmol/g-SDP) 7 7 7 7 Tetramethylammonium (μmol/g- 19 81 — — SDP) Tetraethylammonium (μmol/g- — — 20 75 SDP) Mtot (μmol/g-SDP) 411 473 412 467 Ratio (%) M1/Mtot 4.6 17 5 16

Ink 4E Ink 4F Ink 4G Ink 4H Comp. Comp. Comp. Comp. Ink Ingredients Dispersion 1 (as % pigment) 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 Tetrapropylammonium 0.012 0.048 — — hydroxide Tetrapenylammonium — — 0.02 0.06 hydroxide Diethylene glycol 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 2-pyrrolidone 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Surfynol 465 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Water (balance to 100%) Bal. Bal. Bal. Bal. Physical Properties Conductivity (mS/cm) 0.23 0.36 0.21 0.28 pH 6.76 7.35 6.36 6.61 Cation Content Potasium (ppm) (526) (526) (526) (526) Sodium (ppm)  (6)  (6)  (6)  (6) Tetrapropylammonium (ppm) (131) (524) — — Tetrapentylammonium (ppm) — — (211) (634)

Ink 4E Ink 4F Ink 4G Ink 4H Print Properties Decap Time (sec.) 500 10 400 400 Optical Density 1.48 1.46 1.45 1.47 Cation Molar Ratios Potassium (μmol/g-SDP) 385 385 385 385 Sodium (μmol/g-SDP) 7 7 7 7 Tetrapropylammonium 18 74 — — (μmol/g-SDP) Tetrapentylammonium — — 19 57 (μmol/g-SDP) Mtot (μmol/g-SDP) 410 466 411 449 Ratio (%) M1/Mtot 4.4 16 4.6 13

Ink 4I Ink 4J Ink 4K Comp. Comp. Comp. Ink Ingredients Dispersion 1 (as % pigment) 3.5 3.5 3.5 Tetrahexylammonium 0.025 0.1 — hydroxide Tetraoctylammonium — — 0.03 hydroxide Diethylene glycol 10.0 10.0 10.0 2-pyrrolidone 10.0 10.0 10.0 Surfynol 465 0.2 0.2 0.2 Water (balance to 100%) Bal. Bal. Bal. Physical Properties Conductivity (mS/cm) 0.24 0.49 0.23 pH 7.77 6.35 6.59 Cation Content Potassium (ppm) (526) (526) (526) Sodium (ppm)  (6)  (6)  (6) Tetrahexylammonium (ppm) (262) (1048)  — Tetraoctylammonium (ppm) — — (311)

138-5 138-6 127-3 0 0 0 0 Print Properties Decap Time (sec.) 400 unreliable unreliable Optical Density 1.49 unreliable unreliable Cation Molar Ratio Potassium (μmol/g-SDP) 385 385 385 Sodium (μmol/g-SDP) 7 7 7 Tetrahexylammonium (μmol/g- 20 80 — SDP) Tetraoctylammonium (μmol/g- — — 18 SDP) Mtot (μmol/g-SDP) 412 472 410 Ratio (%) M1/Mtot 5 17 4.4

Example 5

The inks 5A-5D of this example, summarized in the tables that follow, demonstrate different co-solvent ratios compared to Ink 1E (of Example 1) as the base formulation. As can be seen, the magnitude of decap improvement provided by the inventive combination of cations is influenced the co-solvent mixture.

Ink Ink Ink Ink Ink 5A 5B 5C 5D 1E Ingredients Dispersion 1 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 (% pig.) Tetrabutyl- 0.015 0.015 0.015 0.015 0.015 ammonium hydroxide Diethylene 20 18 15 — 10 glycol 2-pyrroli- — 2 5 20 10 dinone Surfynol 465 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Water (to Bal- Bal- Bal- Bal- Bal- 100%) ance ance ance ance ance Print Properties Decap Time 500 900 >1,000 70 >1,000 (seconds) Optical 1.43 1.40 1.41 1.36 1.48 Density

Example 6

The inks of this example, summarized in the tables that follow, demonstrate the inclusion of a polymeric binder additive (Binder 1) in a formulation with tetrabutylammonium and potassium cations.

As can be seen, at an optimum ratio of cations, very long decap is still obtained even in the presence of binder.

Ink 6A Ink 6B Ink 6C Ink 6D Ink 6E Ink Ingredients Dispersion 1 (% pig.) 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 Binder 1 0.5 0.5 0.5 1.0 0.5 Tetrabutylammonium 0.015 0.03 0.05 0.1 0.1 hydroxide Diethylene glycol 10 10 10 10 10 2-pyrrolidinone 10 10 10 10 10 Surfynol 465 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Water (balance to Bal. Bal. Bal. Bal. Bal. 100%) Physical Properties Conductivity (mS/cm) 0.58 0.58 0.59 0.82 0.61 pH 7.60 7.55 7.72 7.92 7.80 Cation Content Potassium (ppm) 944 (944) (944) (1365) (944) Sodium (ppm) 6  (6)  (6)   (6)  (6) Tetrabutylammonium (160) (320) (535) (1070) (1070)  (ppm)

Ink Ink Ink Ink Ink 6A 6B 6C 6D 6E Print Properties Decap Time (sec.) 300 >1,000 >1,000 700 300 Optical Density 1.37 1.39 1.38 1.26 1.32 Cation Molar Ratio Potassium 692 692 692 1000 692 (μmol/g-SDP) Sodium 7 7 7 7 7 (μmol/g-SDP) Tetrabutyl- 18 36 60 119 119 ammonium (μmol/g-SDP) Mtot (μmol/g-SDP) 717 735 759 1126 818 Ratio (%) M1/Mtot 2.5 5 8 11 15

Example 7

The inks in this example, summarized in the tables that follow, include ammonium or lithium cations in addition to a preferred M1/M2 mixture. Ink 7A takes, as a starting point, Ink 1E and adds ammonium benzoate; Ink 7B takes, as a starting point, Ink 1F and adds lithium acetate.

As can be seen, the addition of these cations does not interfere with the beneficial decap effect of the inventive first and second cation.

Ink 7A Ink 7B Ink Ingredients Dispersion 1 (as % SDP) 3.5 3.5 Tetrabutylammonium hydroxide 0.015 0.02 Ammonium benzoate 0.06 — Lithium acetate — 0.05 Diethylene glycol 10 10 2-pyrrolidinone 10 10 Surfynol 465 0.2 0.2 Water (balance to 100%) Bal. Bal. Physical Properties Conductivity (mS/cm) 0.49 0.24 pH 6.35 6.45

Ink 7A Ink 7B Print Properties Decap Time (sec.) >1,000 >1,000 Optical Density 1.48 1.46 Cation Molar Ratios Ammonium (μmol/g-SDP) (123) — Lithium (μmol/g-SDP) — 216 

1. An ink-jet ink comprising an aqueous vehicle, a colorant, and a first and second cationic species wherein: i) said colorant comprises self-dispersed pigment with anionic dispersibility-imparting surface groups; ii) said first cationic species is a member or any combination of members selected from the group consisting of tetrabutylammonium, benzyltriethylammmonium, butyltrimethylammonium cations, and has a molar concentration per unit weight of ink of M1; iii) said second cationic species is any member or any combination of members selected from the group consisting of Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺ Cs⁺, and has a molar concentration per unit weight of ink of M2; and iv) the molar ratio of first cationic species to total cation concentration (Mtot) satisfies equation 1 as follows: 0.01≦M1/Mtot≦0.5   (eq. 1) wherein Mtot is the cumulative molar concentration of first and second cationic species per unit weight of ink (Mtot=M1+M2).
 2. The ink of claim 1 further comprising a first humectant selected from any one or combination of members of the group consisting of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and triethylene glycol.
 3. The ink of claim 2 further comprising a second humectant selected from any one or combination of members of the group consisting of 2-pyrrolidone, di-(2-hydroxyethyl)-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, sulfolane, tetramethylene, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone and imidazolidinone.
 4. The ink of claim 1 wherein said anionic dispersibility surface groups on the self-dispersed pigment are predominately carboxyl groups.
 5. The inkjet ink of claim 1 wherein said anionic dispersibility surface groups on the self-dispersed pigment have a molar concentration per unit weight of ink of M_anionic, and Mtot is equal to or greater than M_anionic.
 6. The ink-jet ink of claim 1 further comprising an anionic polymer additive.
 7. The ink according to claim 6 wherein the anionic polymer additive is an anionic acrylic, styrene-acrylic or polyurethane polymer additive.
 8. The ink of claim 1 wherein said colorant consists essentially of self-dispersed pigment with anionic dispersibility-imparting surface groups.
 9. The ink-jet ink of claim 1 wherein said second cationic species is predominately K⁺.
 10. The ink according to claim 9 wherein said first cationic species is predominately tertabutylammonium cations.
 11. The ink of claim 1 wherein the molar ratio of first cationic species to total cation concentration (Mtot) satisfies equation 2 as follows: 0.02≦M1/Mtot≦0.2  (eq. 2).
 12. The ink of any of the preceding claims wherein the pigment is self-dispersed carbon black. 